Rare Valentines Day Parkway Motorcycle Ride

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Wayne Busch

I made my first motorcycle ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway today way earlier than expected. I found the gates open in Blowing Rock and I turned south to enjoy what winter had to show. A few deep snowdrifts still lingered along the road in shady spots, but most of the rest had melted. It was good to be back on the nations most popular motorcycle ride. I can’t wait for the southern section to open.

Stopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain. The Lynn Cove Viaduct is just above my bike. Beautiful day even with the high winds.

I enjoyed some great views of Grandfather Mountain and the Lynn Cove Viaduct. It was lined with snow and very pretty. The Blue Ridge Parkway is wonderfully free of the gravel and salt that covers nearly every other road in the Smoky Mountains right now, though there were a few spots with some sand on them. There was a high wind advisory in effect today and it was howling up on the ride, but I enjoyed it all the same. No trees had come down (yet), though there were some branches to dodge. Keep your eyes out for rocks in the road with the thaw, and crews are out working on projects.

The Lynn Cove Viaduct. It's the newest section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the last piece completed in 1983. It was cutting edge for the time.

My fun was too short as I hit the first road closure south of Grandfather Mountain. I ducked around it with one of my fun little shortcuts, but had to leave Blue Ridge Parkway in Linville. I couldn’t resist making up run up the Diamondback on the way home. It was in pristine shape and I was on the edge of my tires until the last few switchbacks near the top of the mountain. Here I ran into the sand and salt again and wiggled my way to the top as quickly as it would allow. Unfortunately the parkway was closed here at both exits. I’m still thankful for what I got!

It's no wonder this area is so well known. There is a great view of the Viaduct from below on US 221 and it's an outstanding motorcycle ride from Grandfather Mountain to Blowing Rock as is the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Tomorrow, a short video of the ride up the Diamondback.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com

Finally – Warmer Blue Ridge Motorcycle Riding Weather

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Wayne Busch

Man, that was a long cold spell, but it looks like we’re going to get a break here in the Smoky Mountains, at least for a little while. We all know winter isn’t gone yet, it’s still mid February, but we’ve missed those warm spells that make it tolerable for motorcycles in the Blue Ridge. No more!

Blue Ridge Parkway - Beech Gap - Junction NC 215. The Parkway is still closed of course, though plenty were out enjoying it on foot and bicycle.

Jackie and I got out for some riding Sunday, including a stop at the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap. While we’re so grateful to have this opportunity to get out and ride, it’s no time for getting frisky. Snow lines the roads in the high places, and every shady curve has you watching for lingering ice. The salt, gravel, and sand still lays thick on frozen roads and columns of ice cover rocky faces which see little sunshine. Ride a little, slide a little, it can be a delicate dance sometimes.

Ice coats the rock faces near the heights of the Blue Ridge Parkway on NC 215. The winter sun is still too low in the sky to warm places like this.

We shot more video for the America Rides Maps winter video project, I showed Jackie a great road she’d never been on, and we saw plenty of other bikers out enjoying rides on their motorcycles. It should be similar tomorrow and maybe a few days more. I know I’m going to take advantage of it.

Frozen waterfall - Bubbling Springs Branch on NC 215

Hope you get a chance to ride soon. I can’t stop thinking about spring, though this break is sure welcome.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Views On Bike Shows Changing

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Wayne Busch

A thing of beauty, craftsmanship, design, and art.

Every so often you may still hear me utter the words “I don’t care much for bike shows”, but my perspective is changing. It’s a personal issue, one more defect to add to my already exhaustive list of character flaws. As with many dislikes, it was rooted in ignorance and a narrow understanding.

I give credit to Mark and Yvonne Cresswell from World Wide Dynamics for opening my mind. They’ve been involved with promoting shows and events like Sturgis, Leesburg, Laconia, Daytona, and a host of others for decades. When things went south with Myrtle Beach they saw a vacuum and the Asheville Bikefest and Blue Ridge Run was born to fill it. I watched them pull together the event last year, got just a little peek at all the behind the curtain challenges and frustrations involved, and came to appreciate the knowledge and connections they’ve built up over the years. I used to think they asked for my contribution for my expert knowledge about motorcycle riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but now I think there’s more to it. There has to be. I’m starting to wake up to what that is.

Photo - Bike at Knoxville motorcycle show

Nothing like purple to show passion.

Give me a good bike, an engaging road, and a tank of gas and I’m gone. I don’t need bling, all you’re gonna see is a blur as I flash by anyway. When form vs. function, function always wins for me, and shows seemed all about form – shiny bikes I’d never ride and baubles to dress them up. I struggled with this contradiction but now I think I’m bridging the gap in my understanding, finding the deeper connection. I’ve believe I’ve found the common ground – it’s passion.

I spent yesterday in Knoxville TN, at the Easyrider Custom motorcycle show. A few weeks back it was Charlotte NC, and before that Greenville SC. All of these were outstanding well run shows that crowds of thousands truly enjoy. Coordinating and managing them is an extraordinary accomplishment and a tremendous amount of work. Touring it on the road from city to city presents daunting challenges. I have nothing but awe and respect for Easyriders Events – well done! It didn’t happen without passion.

Now here's one I'd enjoy riding! '73 Kaw rescued from a farmers field.

I’ve had just a little taste of what it takes to be a vendor at a show, a behind the scenes look, a “backstage pass” so to speak. It’s a grueling routine. Miles and miles on the road. Up before dark to get into the facility. Hauling in all your merchandise through the loading dock, building the booth, hoping and trying to get a good spot on the floor, the race to get everything set up before the doors open to the public. Once the people flood in you’re on your feet and on your game non-stop until they close again. It’s a long and exhausting day and at the end you’ve either got to break down and pack up to head for the next show or spend a night in a strange bed to do it all over again tomorrow. It’s done so well and they make it look so easy you never think about what went into creating it. You don’t do that without passion.

I've always liked the red ones.

No need to waste words describing the passion of those who build and bring these bikes to the shows – the photos clearly show how much passion went into these creations. That passion is also evident in the thousands of people who come to these events, to share the enthusiasm and stoke their own personal passions for what motorcycling brings to them.

We motorcyclists are a diverse group. Each one of us gets something from the sport / hobby / lifestyle / – however you categorize what motorcycles do for you. We’re all different, but one of the things that unites us is passion. My passion is best expressed and fulfilled through riding at the edge of my abilities on the most challenging and engaging roads I can find. The shiny things don’t always fit in my personal world, but I can appreciate how it does for others. Passion is the tie that binds, the common denominator for us.

The Asheville Bikefest and Blue Ridge Run May 12-15, 2011

Passion has got to be one of the reasons Mark and Yvonne asked me to help again with the Asheville Bikefest and Blue Ridge Run May 12 – 15. It certainly isn’t my competence with putting on a bike show, they know my attitude and lack of experience with such things. Coordinating the vendors, the stunt shows, the entertainment, the manufacturers and their demo fleets, and all that difficult and exhaustive list of things that go into a show are their passion. It’s what they bring to the table and I was impressed with how well they pulled it off last year.

My passion is riding. That’s my mission. I’m taking it very seriously because it’s what I love most. I can point you to 100 outstanding motorcycle rides around this Asheville show and I don’t know anyone who is as passionate about motorcycle riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway as I am. Just 10 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Asheville Bikefest offers something many other gatherings lack – a wealth of great motorcycle rides through the fantastic scenic Smoky Mountains. Motorcycles aren’t just welcome here, it’s a part of life. The mayor of Asheville rides. You’ve always been welcome here. When you have passion, you can’t help but share it with others.

Come see me at the show. Come with a full tank. Come and let me share our passion with you.

Image - Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy Welcomes Bikefest letter

Asheville Mayor/motorcycle rider Terry Bellamy Welcomes Bikefest

Wife – “Did you see what happened to your motorcycle last night?”

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Wayne Busch

Not the first words you want to hear in the morning. A wind storm tore through the Smoky Mountains last night and wreaked havoc at our house. Stuff blown everywhere. Unfortunately, some of that stuff hit my motorcycle – hard.

It looks like my Tiger chipped a tooth. A heavy wooden pallet blew over onto it. This is gonna be expensive.

It blew all my maintenance supplies off the shelf, broke a jar full of cleaning brushes, wrecked my air pump, and I bet I find more bad news as I clean it all up.

Photo-wind-storm-causes-motorcycle-damage

What a mess. That pallet in the background will soon be kindling wood for the fireplace.

Things are settling down now and the sun is coming up. I suppose it’s not quite as bad as the time a stack of firewood blew over onto my wife’s new car. It’s what I get for forgetting that episode.

Occasionally harsh weather is nothing out of the ordinary in the Smoky Mountains, the price you pay for living in the best motorcycle riding area in the country. Sometimes that price is painful, but it’s well worth the cost. The Triumph dealer will collect the dues this time.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Smoky Mountain Motorcycles Everywhere with Spring Like Weather

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Wayne Busch

Motorcycles were everywhere in the Smoky Mountains this weekend with the arrival of spring-like weather. Temperatures in the 60’s were a welcome relief from this unusually harsh and snowy winter that hasn’t given us motorcycle riders much of a break since November.

Photo-Jackie-enjoys-smoky-mountains-view-on-motorcycle

On a back road near the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Looking north towards Tennessee.

Though snow still lingered in many places, few could resist the urge to fire up the bike and get out to enjoy the fabulous mountain motorcycle riding near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed for the season but that’s of little consequence to motorcycle riders here who enjoy a wealth of two lane back roads that stretch to every horizon.

Photo-Jackie-rides-her-motorcycle-near-Great-Smoky-Mountains-National-Park

Jackie rides by with Purchase Knob in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the background. She loves her BMW F800 ST.

It’s about time we had a break in the weather (hope you did too). In a normal winter (is there such a thing anymore?) the cold spells are broken up by these warm ones and year round riding is pursued by many happy motorcycle enthusiasts throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Clear blue skies and warm winter sunshine had motorcyclists out on all the back roads.

We shot more video for the NC 215 Winter Project but mostly we just made the best of this nice break. We played around on roads through Canton, Bethel, Maggie Valley, made some loops out into the Pisgah National Forest, and went into Waynesville for lunch. It was packed with people in T-shirts enjoying the great food and shopping Waynesville’s historic and quaint downtown is known for.

NC 215 – A Great North Carolina Motorcycle Ride (teaser)

Sure there will be more cold weather to come before spring. I’m hoping things will get back to normal and we’ll have more great days of riding like these. This was great!

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Electric Bike Kicks Some Gas Ass

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Wayne Busch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIMQ0c7JKIU

I don’t see an electric bike in my future – right now. Still, it’s with some pride that I’ve watched the development of this new technology and I am impressed that the cutting edge performance is appearing first in motorcycles – not cars. It was just a couple years ago electric motorcycles were little more than mopeds with a battery. Now, they are matching the performance of gas powered bikes and for the first time appearing on the podium at an honest race.

I picked this up from US Rider News and you can read more and see a couple more photos at http://usridernews.com/2011/01/24/electric-superbike-reaches-podium-finish/ .

The Blue Ridge Parkway on Snow Skis (6 Photos)

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Wayne Busch

The first wave of snow has come and gone. After a couple days confined to the cabin, the roads cleared enough so we could get out, get some fresh air and exercise, and restock the pantry before the whopper of storms blows in shortly.

About a foot of snow on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Soco Gap and we had to break our own trail.

With the storm coming we’re likely to be snowed in for the next few days. We should see somewhere around another foot at my house, though things could get pretty deep up on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Jackie glides by - it's not rare to see her off her BMW motorcycle when the weather gets cold

We’re grateful for the opportunity to get out. Cabin fever sets in pretty fast, especially when you are used to being outdoors. We start climbing the walls after 3 days.

Just aim the pointy ends down hill and relax - looking over the edge of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The drops can be substantial.

So long as the power stays on, and it usually does, we’ll be fine. There are folks further north who would be glad to swap places.

Photo-others-enjoy-snow-on-blue-ridge-parkway

The parkway is not our exclusive winter playground. It's rare to have it all to yourself any time of year. We meet a snow shoer, then more skiers.

I’ll spend the next few days squirreled away in my office revising another one of my Smoky Mountains motorcycle ride maps. It’s easier to get the tedium accomplished when there’s nothing else you can go do.

View from about a mile up the parkway. You're looking towards Cherokee though I never saw the casino. From higher up, at Waterrock Knob, you can't miss the huge buildings.

The reason I bother to post something like skiing the Blue Ridge Parkway is that it happens less often than you might think. There are only a few times each year the conditions are just right. They could have been better today, but it was good enough. It was a lot of work busting trail uphill. The downhills were not too bad at all.

The four of us packed down a nice trail to follow when we turned about for the downhill run. The dogs could barely keep up.

It’s hard to believe I was out on my motorcycle mapping the best rides in the Smoky Mountains just a few days ago. With any luck I’ll be out again by the end of next week. But for now, it’s hunker down time.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Making Gatlinburg Tolerable for Motorcycles (1 photo)

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Wayne Busch

Gatlinburg. I cringe just thinking about the traffic, congestion, and development. It’s one of the last places I consider when thinking of good motorcycle riding. Today, my outlook may be changing.

Photo-US-321-north-of-great-smoky-mountains-national-park

US 321 north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 90% of the east-west traffic between I-40 and Gatlinburg will be on this road.

I’m closing in on the Gatlinburg – Pigeon Forge – Sevierville area, mapping west from I-40 in search of the best motorcycle rides. I’ve already found my best route to reach the city limits avoiding the traffic on US 321 along the north edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A few back roads linked together turn the chore of crossing the foothills downright enjoyable but now I’m getting into the towns.

Even so, I found a couple nice shortcuts today to skirt around the tourists, and there are number of promising roads waiting. The short winter days and roads strewn with road salt, grit, and lingering icy patches limit the miles I can cover efficiently before I turn tail and head home.

I shouldn’t complain about the traffic as it’s the dead of winter. Dollywood is closed. Much of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed. The memories of what happens once things warm up give me chills. I won’t quit until I find the best ways to go.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Motorcycle + Ice + Fun = Minor Damage

Posted on December 18, 2010 by Wayne Busch

A minute after this photo was taken my bike lay on its side and I couldn’t pick it up.

Photo-Whitesides-mountain-nc-motorcycle-by-frozen-lake

A minute after this photo was taken my bike lay on its side and I couldn't pick it up. Whiteside Mountain in the background has the highest cliffs in the east.

It was the last of the roads I planned to explore on a winter motorcycle riding dayin the Blue Ridge Mountains. I stopped at this frozen lake to take the picture beneath the 1000 foot cliffs of Whiteside Mountain. As I tried to turn the bike around and leave, my foot slipped on the icy gravel and down it went. Each time I tried to pick it up the wheels just skated on the frozen ground and I couldn’t get the leverage to lift it. Within minutes I was exhausted, out of breath, and starting to seriously wonder just how I was going to get out of this predicament.

I didn't realize how icy US 276 was until I stopped. My feet skidded on the thin coat of black ice that covered parts of the road. It had been a long slow climb to get this far.

Had I any sense I would have turned back this morning and put this off, but I’ve set a deadline for this motorcycle ride map revision. After several days of a hard cold followed by rain, I figured the roads should be in better shape now with the relatively warmer weather. When the frostless morning came with 33 degrees on the thermometer and the promise of sunshine, I was elated to get back out on the road. It wasn’t as warm as I thought.

Photo-view-of-mountains-in-clouds-from-Blue-Ridge-Parkway

As I looked south when I crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway my destination lay beneath that bank of clouds near those mountaintop islands on the left horizon.

Heading out things appeared to be fine. The rains melted all but the last clumps of snow the plows had skidded to the roadside. The ride out through the Bethel Valley was as usual. Once I entered the Pisgah Forest and started the winding climb to crest the Blue Ridge Parkway it got interesting.

I thought conditions would get better once I started down the south side of the mountains but if got worse until I reached US 64 in Brevard.

This is where I’m supposed to entertain you
with how hard it was, how bad the roads were,
that it was all harrowing moments
of slips and slides and near spills –
That’s not how I recall it.

I play with conditions like these,
flirting with the balance
at the the edge of control.
Find the sweet spot of the given moment,
do my best to guide the slides,
find the rhythm of the road,
and push as far as I dare let it go.
That’s what I remember –

It took 2 hours instead of one
to reach the South Carolina border,
but once I came down off Caesar’s Head
the ice was gone.

Table Rock in Table Rock State Park, South Carolina, viewed from US 276 coming down through the hairpin turns that descend from Caesar's Head State Park.

I picked up a few new roads in South Carolina for you to enjoy on your motorcycle vacation tour this year including one that was so promising I’m going to research the potential for mapping in that area. While I had to be vigilant for salt and sand, I had lots of fun on motorcycle rides old and new to me. As soon as I crossed back into North Carolina the snow and ice was back.

A view of Lake Jocassee, SC from the Wiginton Scenic Byway as I climb back into snowy North Carolina. Whitewater Falls, highest in the east, feeds the lake.

I knew it was probably a waste of time to ride out into Whitesides Cove, but I know this great spot to get a picture. There’s always the chance the unpaved portion to Highlands has been improved. Unless I check periodically I don’t know when one of these two lane twisties has had an upgrade and is worth adding to my Blue Ridge motorcycle ride maps.

By spring these rocks on US 215 near the Beech Gap exit of the Blue Ridge Parkway will be coated with ice several feet thick.

You already know I got out of the jam. It sure wasn’t pretty. For a second I thought – “take a picture of this”, then a wiff of gasoline told me the longer it the bike lay there the less likely it would start. Little chance of someone passing by to help on this isolated road. The sun was getting low, things were already frozen, it would be a long cold night. It was time to be working my way home.

New lens already on order

I flushed with adrenaline when those thoughts hit, carefully considered the mechanics, dug my feet in, and with my back to the bike I half lifted-half wresteled the beast up with a quivering slo-mo almost failed heave. A broken turn lamp lens lay on the ground, the mirrors had twisted out of position, but otherwise the mud would wash away when I got home.

Hooray – I think that completes the roadwork I needed to finish up this new motorcycle ride map. I plan to have it ready by Christmas. It not only combines 2 existing maps into one, but adds more than a dozen new motorcycle roads I’ve never published before. It also gets nearly all the roadside waterfalls on a single map. This will be one of my most popular ride maps yet!

Visit America Rides Maps.com – the most inexpensive & comprehensive motorcycle ride maps available

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Photos from Todays Tennessee Smoky Mountains Motorcycle Ride 12-10-10

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Wayne Busch

I spent the day riding in Tennessee mostly around Newport. It’s not a particularly scenic area hence so few photos. Most of the motorcycle rides I explored were not up to the quality I was looking for, but I more or less expected that. Even so, I did add a few good connectors and found a couple of outstanding rides.

This is Rocky Flats Road on the north side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's freshly paved and a very nice ride through some tight and hilly country.

There are a lot of little single lane roads, barely paved, in this region. It reminded me of some of the roads in western Virginia. If you’re into adventure riding you won’t run short of options. I strayed down a lot of bumpy little backroads, but few have enough scenery to make me want to revisit them. Unfortunately, when good scenery did present, the winter sun was so low in the sky I couldn’t get a decent photo.

It's common for the back roads to follow creeks and streams. It was difficult to find sunny spots to shoot photos as the winter sun is so low and the valleys so steep.

I think I covered what was needed for the motorcycle ride map I’m working on. If not, I’ll be back through this way once I get into the next map. I’ve still got to head south again and make a sweep along the border with South Carolina and Georgia. There are a handful of possibilities I want to check on there.

The Foothills Parkway was closed when I rode over this morning, but open on my return. I hit once patch of snow on it but it was no problem. I snapped this photo from an overlook.

The weather is supposed to turn for the worse with rain / snow moving in tomorrow. I’d chance another half day out but I’ve run out of tread on the rear tire. It will be Monday before I can get it replaced, though the coming snow may delay rides for several more days. Glad I got this done now.

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: Wayne Busch – Cartographer

Smoky Mountain Motorcycle Rider

The Best Motorcycle Rides in the Mountains

Rare Valentines Day Parkway Motorcycle Ride

Finally – Warmer Blue Ridge Motorcycle Riding Weather

Views On Bike Shows Changing

Wife – “Did you see what happened to your motorcycle last night?”

Smoky Mountain Motorcycles Everywhere with Spring Like Weather

Electric Bike Kicks Some Gas Ass

The Blue Ridge Parkway on Snow Skis (6 Photos)

Making Gatlinburg Tolerable for Motorcycles (1 photo)

Motorcycle + Ice + Fun = Minor Damage

Visit America Rides Maps.com – the most inexpensive & comprehensive motorcycle ride maps available

Photos from Todays Tennessee Smoky Mountains Motorcycle Ride 12-10-10